In a typical robot factory, the integrator and operator can access the functionality of a robot through a hand-held control device provided with an interface allowing a user to access the functionality of the robot, such as programming and manual operation of the robot. The hand-held control device enables the user to move around the robot throughout the integration and operation processes. Information on the current state of the robot as well as its workflow is displayed on the display unit of the control device. This type of interface works well for a one-armed robot, but displaying information on a more complex system may cause confusion for the operator.
For instance, a dual-arm robot is technically two robots that are individually controlled and programmed through a single user interface. The dual arm robot has a body, and two arms movably attached to the body on opposite sides of the body. An arm can be moved independently of the other arm. Since the arms can do different tasks, both arms need individual workflows often referred to as swim lanes. Sometimes, it can be difficult for the user to determine which swim lane belongs to which arm. Furthermore, the relationship between the arms and the swim lanes can also change as the user moves around the robots.